New Year's Resolutions
by InfamousJava
Summary: Harry has a New Year's Resolution he is determined to stick to - but Draco's not making it easy. Holiday oneshot


**So this is just a little Christmasy(kind of)/New Years oneshot that I came up with, and I thought it would be a nice little present for anyone who continues to put up with my random updates for Imaginary. Harry makes a New Year's Resolution and is determined to stick to it, but Draco makes things a little difficult... Anyway, happy reading and happy holidays! IJ x**

 **New Year's Resolutions**

Harry had never been a big believer in New Year's Resolutions. Throughout his Hogwarts years, he had been too focused on goals like 'stopping Voldemort' and 'staying alive' to really care about setting other targets for himself. Sure, when he was living with the Dursleys, Harry had wanted to get away from Privet Drive almost desperately, and had wished as hard as he could every time that he watched the New Year's celebrations of his so called 'family' through a crack in his cupboard door that some estranged relative would come and whisk him away from his miserable life – although that was more of a unachievable dream than a real New Year's Resolution.

But now the war was over and his two primary goals were complete. So last New Year's Eve, as Harry was standing over his Godson's crib, watching him wave a stolen wand around wildly as the rest of his friends and family celebrated around him, Harry had, for once in his life, decided to give himself a real New Year's Resolution; one that he thought would be simple enough to achieve – to return Draco Malfoy's wand.

Oh how wrong he was.

...

After he had defeated Voldemort with the Hawthorn wand he had stolen from Draco, Harry had been too caught up with everything going on to return it to him. What with all the funerals and weddings, the parties and awards ceremonies, there had simply been no spare moment of Harry's life to devote to reuniting the stolen wand with its former master. So the wand had lain in Harry's bedside table until the first Christmas Eve after the war, when Harry had stumbled upon it whilst searching for a misplaced present. He had removed the wand from its wooden prison, and placed it in the pocket of his dress robes, thinking that he would send the wand to the former Slytherin sometime tomorrow – completely forgetting that tomorrow was Christmas in his haste to find the lost necklace (a gift for Hermione) before he left for the celebration at the ministry.

And so the wand remained in Harry's dress robes until the next time he wore them – which happened to be New Years Eve. He himself would never have noticed the wand's presence in his pocket until he felt a small hand reach into the deep pouch of material and withdraw something. Harry had turned to retrieve what he thought was his own Holly wand from the thieving hands of Teddy Lupin and was surprised to see the Hawthorn wand being waved madly in his pudgy little fists. At that moment, everyone else in the room started embracing and shouting and declaring their resolutions for the New Year. And so, Harry thought that since he couldn't come up with anything else, this year his resolution would be to return his former rivals wand. He then retrieved the wand from the squalling child and went to do some celebrating of his own.

...

On the third of January, Harry had ventured out to Diagon Alley. As well as visiting several shops to gather necessary supplies, he took a trip to the post office so he could send a note to Draco. The message he sent was simple – ' _Malfoy, I have your wand. I can give it to you if you want. – HP'._ Harry walked out of the shop feeling pleased with his accomplishments and headed home.

...

On the fifth of January, Harry received a message from Malfoy – however it was not as positive as he had hoped. ' _Potter, Your saviour complex is sickening. I wouldn't take that wand back from you if you paid me. – DM'._ Harry frowned – this wasn't at all conductive to achieving his New Year's Resolution. Well, if Malfoy wasn't going to accept the wand graciously, then Harry was going to find some way to force it back upon him – he wasn't going to give up on his goal so early in the year.

...

Harry spent the next few weeks carefully finding out every little bit of information he could about one Draco Malfoy. He took advantage of his position as an Auror-in-training and took out Malfoy's file at the ministry. From this, Harry learned that he had recently moved out of his parent's manor into a flat somewhere off Diagon Alley. After a few days of careful observation (he refused to think of it as stalking), Harry had figured out the blonde's routine, and had decided that his best bet would be to apprehend Malfoy on one of his trips out to the apothecary.

Harry watched as his former classmate exited his abode and locked the door, before joining the masses of people wandering the streets. Harry followed him closely, but stayed at a good distance so that he wouldn't be spotted before his mission was complete. Just before Malfoy entered the shop, Harry pounced.

"Hi, Malfoy." Harry said in what he hoped was a cheerful and non-confrontational manner. The blonde jumped about a foot in the air before turning to face him.

"What are you doing Potter?" Malfoy spat out venomously.

"Returning your wand." Harry said brightly before shoving the wand towards the other boy. Malfoy gave him a disgusted look before turning away from him and entering the shop. Harry frowned – maybe he hadn't been friendly enough. Oh well, he could always try again tomorrow.

...

Harry spent the rest of the month, and the next, trying to forcibly return the wand to Malfoy. But no matter where or when he tried to achieve his goal, Malfoy always thwarted him and Harry was left to return home, wand still in hand. In fact, the last attempt Harry had made had resulted in Malfoy somehow sensing his presence in the crowded street, before Harry had even had a chance to speak to the other boy, and then shouting for the whole street to hear 'JUST BLOODY FUCK OFF WOULD YOU POTTER!'. Harry knew that he couldn't keep doing this; he was starting to get some strange looks from the shopkeepers in Diagon Alley whenever he appeared there. Maybe it was time for a change in tactics...

...

March passed in a blur of exhausting Auror training and scheming; every spare minute Harry had was devoted to coming up with a new plan to get the Hawthorn wand back to its rightful owner. He had, in fact, come up with what he thought was a brilliant plan, when a chance encounter led to Harry changing his mind.

One day, after he had been sent home early during Auror training (little incident with a miscast transfiguration spell – don't ask), Harry had bumped into one Pansy Parkinson in the Ministry atrium. She had sent him a glare filled with spite and loathing, and Harry almost returned one before remembering something.

"Hey Parkinson – you're friends with Malfoy, right?" Harry asked in what he hoped was a casual fashion.

Pansy's eyes narrowed on him. "So what if I am?"

"Well you see, I've still got his wand. I've been meaning to return it to him, but you know how things are..." The dark-haired girl gave a little sarcastic snort at this, but Harry ploughed onward. "Anyway, I was hoping you would be able to pass it on to him for me?"

Harry then proceeded to reach his hand into his pocket (where he had been storing the wand for several weeks - just in case) and withdrew the thin piece of wood, before holding out to Pansy. She took it from and walked away. "Don't think I'm doing this for your benefit, Potter." She called over her shoulder.

Harry smiled. Mission accomplished.

...

'Or maybe not' Harry thought to himself as he stared at the smouldering remains of the howler that had just minutes ago been sitting innocently on his desk.

Harry had been happily smiling ever since yesterday afternoon when he had given away the wand (and all of his wand related troubles) to Pansy Parkinson. That was until the great eagle owl of Draco Malfoy came clawing at his window. Confused, Harry opened the window and let the bird in; vaguely wondering if Malfoy had sent him a thank you note of some sort. However, his wishes of a message of appreciation were crushed once he saw the deep red of a howler lurking in those claws, along with a very familiar looking wand.

Harry sighed as he took the Hawthorn wand from the birds clutches, and set it aside before moving on to the howler. He warily tore it open, and closed his eyes; waiting for the eruption he knew was coming.

Draco Malfoy's aristocratic voice boomed out from the quivering piece of parchment, and Harry trembled in his seat as threatening words fell around him.

"BLOODY IDIOTIC GRYFFINDORS...STUPID HERO COMPLEXES...MANIPULATING MY FRIENDS...JUST FUCKING STOP POTTER...I WILL ALWAYS HATE YOU, AND YOUR STUPID MESSY HAIR AND YOUR STUPID GREEN EYES...JUST LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE" The letter screamed for several minutes before burning itself into a pile of ash.

'Time to initiate the other plan then' Harry thought to himself, doubly determined as he was before.

...

Harry was especially proud of the plan he had spent nearly a month creating. It came from the more 'Slytherin' part of his brain, and he thought it was incredibly sneaky. Its basic principles involved somehow giving the wand to Malfoy, without him realizing that he had got it back. Harry had pondered about how to do this and had decided that the best way would be to send the wand along with other items that Malfoy would like, but disguise it, so he wouldn't even know it was there.

As he was wrapping up the first parcel (a rare potions book that he had found whilst cleaning out Grimmuald Place – with the wand sneakily hidden in the cover using an undetectable extension charm) Harry let loose a slightly evil cackle, which he thought sounded rather splendid. 'Maybe I should let my Slytherin side out more often' he thought to himself, as he watched the owl disappear over the horizon.

...

However, Harry's cunning ploy did not work- he had obviously been out-Slytherined by Malfoy. The wand was returned to him after he had sent the first 'gift', and every time he attempted it after that. Harry sent dozens of packages to the other boy; books he thought he would enjoy, various potions ingredients and equipment, a collection of training Snitches, dress robes the exact stormy grey colour of Malfoy's eyes, even a large crate of Honeydukes' finest creations, all with the wand hidden somewhere in them. But each and every time, the devious blonde would somehow sniff out the wand and send it back to Harry, whilst keeping the gift Harry had sent!

Harry was fuming – he was still in possession of the wand, he was out a few hundred Galleons and he was running out of time. The last attempt he had made was halfway through August, and as Malfoy had sent a note along with the wand, helpfully detailing what, specifically, he would do to Harry if he tried to send another parcel, he decided not to do so.

As the end of September dawned, Harry thought up one last idea. He hastily scribbled down a letter to Malfoy, inviting him to go for a drink at the Leaky Cauldron for a 'talk'.

Harry added a heartfelt promise to not bring the wand as a last-minute postscript, hoping that it would entice the blonde into accepting the invitation. He figured that he could go for a few drinks, keep up the conversation for a bit to lull Malfoy into a false sense of security, and then put the wand on the table and sprint away. This way, he figured, Malfoy would have no choice, but to accept the wand.

...

Two days later and Harry was sat in the Leaky Cauldron, nervously waiting for Malfoy to appear. Surprisingly, Malfoy had actually accepted his invitation and had agreed to meet him at eight O'clock. It was now eight fifteen, and there was no sign of the blonde. Harry sighed, before beginning to stand up – it was obvious that the other boy had blown him off – when an imperious voice called out to him.

"You're not leaving, are you Potter?"

Harry turned and saw Malfoy striding across the room towards his table, and then promptly sat back down. It was time to put this plan into action.

...

Three hours later and Harry still hadn't made his victorious escape. In fact, thoughts of the wand had completely escaped his mind altogether. He and Malfoy had been talking non-stop about family, friends and of course, Quidditch, and not once had there been a lull in the conversation. Surprisingly, Harry found that he was rather enjoying himself, and had no desire to leave yet. When Malfoy stood and said that he had better be getting back, Harry panicked and offered to walk the blonde home – hoping that maybe he could slip the wand into the other boys pocket as they walked. Malfoy accepted his proposal, and they walked out into the dark and quiet Diagon Alley together.

They remained silent until they reached Malfoy's doorstep. Malfoy opened the door and stepped inside, before turning to face Harry with a small smile on his face. Harry quickly reached into his pocket, withdrew the Hawthorn wand and shoved it towards Malfoy. Malfoy's smile slipped at the sight of the wand.

"Are you sure you won't take this?" Harry asked, rather deperatley.

"No. But I'll take something else if you're willing to give it to me?" Malfoy returned with a sly smirk. Harry stared back at him in confusion, oblivious to what the blonde was on about.

Malfoy sighed. "Never mind. Goodnight, Potter." He shut the door, and Harry was left standing alone on the doorstep, the wand still clutched in his fist. As he wandered away down the abandoned alley, he felt strangely empty inside.

...

Harry sighed as he signed off his last report, before lying back onto his sofa. He had never realised how much paperwork was involved in being an Auror – he would have considered a different kind of career if he did.

Harry knew that he should be getting to bed soon – it was Christmas Eve after all, and he had a big day ahead of him. He put his chewed quill down before heading up the stairs towards his bedroom. Harry was just about to take his glasses off and put them on his bedside table when he noticed the dusty piece of wood that was resting there. He moved his hands away from his face and picked up the Hawthorn wand that he had resigned himself to keeping.

'The only New Year's Resolution I ever made, and I couldn't do it' Harry thought to himself. There was only a week until the next New Year's Eve, and Harry knew that he couldn't possibly do in one week what he'd failed to do all year.

Could he?

Harry was the boy-who-lived, the saviour of the wizarding world and here he was – letting a silly little resolution defeat him. No, he couldn't stand for this, he wouldn't let Draco bloody Malfoy and his stupid bloody wand beat him. He was _going_ to return that wand if it killed him. And he was going to do it tonight.

...

Harry pounded on Malfoy's front door, panting from exhaustion. He had practically sprinted from his house to Diagon Alley, caught up in his slightly insane quest. After a few minutes of loud knocking, the door eventually swung open to reveal a sleepy-looking Draco Malfoy.

"Potter? What are you doing here? It's one in the bloody – " Malfoy started before being cut off by Harry.

"What is wrong with you? Seriously, I try all bloody year to give you your wand back, and you refuse to accept it? What kind of a person does that? And now there's only a week left – and you've STILL NOT TAKEN IT BACK. WOULD YOU DO ME A BLOODY FAVOUR MALFOY AND JUST TAKE THE WAND BEFORE I mmphf –" Harry's rant was cut off by a pair of lips that had somehow attached themselves to his own. Harry took a step back and looked at Malfoy in utter confusion.

"Wha-?" Harry stammered.

"You have to be the most persevering idiot I've ever met, Potter" The blonde said in a silky voice before leaning in for another kiss. Harry groaned in pleasure, and began kissing him back aggressively. He was very close to just taking the blonde right there and then on the doorstep, when he managed to pull himself away.

"Why are you doing this? It's not that I don't like it - 'cause I really do - but why?" Harry panted.

Malfoy smirked. "Of course you like it Potter – I'm a great kisser. And honestly, do you not realise what you've been doing all year? You've basically been courting me." Harry made a protesting noise at this, but Malfoy held up his hand in retaliation and began checking off his fingers. "You found out where I lived, you followed me around for months, you talked to my friends, you sent me loads of presents and you took me out on a date."

"It wasn't a date!" Harry protested indignantly.

"Potter - you insisted on paying for all of my drinks and then walked me home" Malfoy countered.

"Errr..." Okay, so maybe the tactics Harry had used had been a little...strange. But he wasn't...he didn't...

"Oh sod it" Harry muttered before attaching his lips to Malfoy's once more, and shoving him into the flat, slamming the door shut behind them.

...

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one...Happy New Year!"

Harry grinned before entwining himself with Draco, and snogging him senseless. They were at the Burrow for the Weasley's New Years Eve party, and they were standing in the exact same spot that, one year ago today, Harry had made his fateful New Year's Resolution. After a few minutes of breathless kisses, they pulled away from each other and smiled.

"Happy New Year, Potter" Draco whispered.

"Happy New Year, Draco. You know, you really should start calling me Harry if you're going to keep snogging me." Harry whispered back.

Draco grinned."That can be my New Year's Resolution."

Harry smiled, before leaning in to kiss his boyfriend again. He didn't need to make any resolutions this year.

His life was already perfect.

FIN


End file.
